(Michigan City, IN) - Planners in Michigan City are looking ahead to the reuse of the Indiana State Prison site.
Last August the Indiana Department of Corrections announced intentions to close the 164-year-old prison. This week the Economic Development Corporation of Michigan City announced that a team of planners has been assembled to develop a master plan for redeveloping the property. Those involved include specialists in architecture, urban design, transportation, and housing development.
“The extensive scope of the State Prison redevelopment project needs a strong foundation of expertise to best pinpoint the optimal strategy for this amazing opportunity for our city,” said Michigan City Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch. “Bringing experts to the table is the first step to having a solid direction for our city’s future beyond the prison.”
Doug Farr, founder of Farr Associates Architecture & Urban Design, is on the planning team. “The decision to relocate the Indiana State Prison and redevelop the site creates a huge economic development opportunity for the City of Michigan City,” he said. “Under normal circumstances redeveloping a large land parcel is a complex process that can take decades. The redevelopment of a 19th Century State Prison is a far more complicated process that requires coordinated leadership from the State of Indiana and the City of Michigan City.”
An analysis of possibilities will take place over the next year, which will include feedback from the public. “We will hold public workshops devoted to brainstorming, design, and developing a final plan,” Farr said. “The face-to-face process will be complemented with virtual meeting options and supported by a project website.”
The 4,200-bed state prison will relocate to a new facility in Westville when that project is complete sometime in 2027. The EDCMC has received READI 2.0 funds from the state to study the reuse of the Michigan City site.
